


Day One: Eddie and the Son Who Adores Him

by firstdegreefangirl



Series: Eddie Diaz Week 2020 [1]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Chris tells a lie, Christopher Diaz is a National Treasure, Eddie Diaz Week, Eddie sees right through him, Family Feels, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Songfic, author projecting her own childhood, whoops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:33:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24749185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firstdegreefangirl/pseuds/firstdegreefangirl
Summary: Chris fails a spelling test and breaks Eddie's heart, all at once. Then Eddie puts it back together.
Relationships: Christopher Diaz & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Series: Eddie Diaz Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1789669
Comments: 14
Kudos: 182





	Day One: Eddie and the Son Who Adores Him

**Author's Note:**

> Country radio went and did another thing, and then I screamed at Eli about it, and she screamed back long enough that not only am I writing this, but I think I’ve been talked into full participation this week. So if you hate this, remember, _it’s because of Eli._
> 
> Inspired by Love Without End, Amen by George Strait

Christopher’s eyes are watering almost as soon as he’s through the door after school. It’s a dramatic shift from how he normally acts – even if he’s had a bad day – so Eddie notices right away, looks over his shoulder at Buck, who shrugs as he sets Chris’ backpack down. 

“Rough day, kiddo?” Eddie picks his jacket up from where he’s tossed it over the back of the chair and hangs it in the closet, then picks the backpack up and starts thumbing through the homework folder. 

There’s nothing unexpected: a math paper with an 89 written at the top, an A on a book report, a permission slip for the history museum trip next week, a spelling test marked 2/10, a reminder about the upcoming book sale …

_A spelling test marked 2/10._

Eddie flips back a couple pages, looks more closely. Sure enough, there’s a bright red failing grade at the top of the page. 

He peers over the top of the folder at the way Chris is staring at him and chewing on his bottom lip. 

“Hey Christopher? What’s this spelling test in here?” Christopher takes a deep breath and Eddie sets the folder on the coffee table as he opens his mouth and stares at his sneakers.

“I … um … we started the test an-and uh … there was a truck outside! A-a really loud truck! And I couldn’t hear the words, b-because of the truck. It was … it was yellow! A yellow truck, um, w-with big tires! And I couldn’t hear the words, so I didn’t know how to spell them a-and I tried my best but it’s hard to spell words you can’t hear, and the truck was really, _really_ loud, Dad, so she, uh, she didn’t hear when I asked her to say the words again more closer. And that’s why I didn’t know how to spell the words!” 

He finishes with a loud sigh, rocking back and forth slightly on his heels while he waits for Eddie’s response.

It’s a lie, he knows it’s a lie. And he can tell that Christopher knows that too. It’s not even a _good_ lie; it’s hardly plausible, the details are in all the wrong places and he still hasn’t looked Eddie in the eye. But Eddie knows that his kid is brutally honest, so if he’s lying, there must be a reason that he didn’t think he could come clean.

So he lets the silence hang between them for a moment before he says anything.

“You’re sure it was a big yellow truck? Because I don’t remember studying with you very much this week.” 

He wasn’t trying to make Christopher cry, he swears. But suddenly, he’s bursting into tears, the big, fat kind that roll down his cheeks while he coughs and sniffles. 

“I-I didn’t know the words! ‘M sorry, Dad, p-puh-please don’t be mad! I wasn’t trying to make you mad, I-I just don’t want you to not l-love me an-anymore!” 

Eddie’s heart cracks when he hears that, clean in two down the middle. He can’t imagine a world without Christopher, can’t fathom anything that would make him stop loving his kid even for a second. With everything they’ve been through, it kills him to hear Christopher think that Eddie might not love him, especially over something as trivial as a spelling test.

He kneels down, reaches out to rest his hands on Christopher’s shoulders and waits until he looks up and meets Eddie’s gaze. His eyes are still watery, his whole chin wobbling with the force of holding back his sobs.

“Hey, you want to hear a secret?” He waits for Chris to nod, jerking his head up and down robotically. “When I was around your age, I got in trouble at school too. I got in a fight, and I didn’t want to be in trouble, so I hid it from your Abuelo. But he found out. Because dads? We always find out. 

“And you know what he said? He told me it was a secret, but I think it’s time to let you in on it too. Think you can keep it between us?” 

This time, when Christopher nods, it looks a little less forced. Eddie smiles at him and squeezes his shoulder when he sniffles.

“Here’s the thing, kiddo: daddies don’t just love their children every now and then. It’s not something we turn on and off like a sink. Do I love that you tried to hide your bad grade? No, and we’ll discuss that later. But I will _always_ love you, forever and ever.” 

“Even if I fail my spelling test?” Christopher’s voice is small and fragile, like he wants to believe everything Eddie is saying, but isn’t quite sure.

“Even then.” Eddie feels a lump building in his own throat, swallows against it as his eyes gloss with tears. “Even if I don’t love the things you do, I will always love you. Got it?” 

Christopher nods and this time, it’s like sutures putting Eddie’s heart back together. He hasn’t ruined anything, he’s still got a good relationship with his son. Next week, they’ll study a little more for the spelling test, put more effort in and try for a higher score.

Together. Because whatever they try, they try it together.

“Good. Now get over here.” He leans forward and tugs Christopher toward him for a hug. He buries his face in Eddie’s shoulder, and Eddie presses his nose into his curls. He relishes every moment he gets to spend here, knows the day is probably fast approaching when Chris will be too big for him to hold like this. They’re pushing it as it is, but Eddie isn’t going to give it up any sooner than he absolutely must. 

And he’s not going to dwell on that now, not when he’s still able to kneel down and pull his son in for a big hug, the kind of embrace that can squeeze all of the problems away.

There’s a sniffle from behind Chris that makes Eddie look up, just far enough to see where the noise is coming from.

It’s Buck, wiping a stray tear from his cheek. When Eddie raises his eyebrows, he waves him off with a hand, sends his focus back to Chris. 

He turns his head back and the world narrows again, beginning and ending with the small hands clinging to his neck. The most important parts of his life are here, in this room, and he knows that nothing could ever change how much he loves either of them. 

Not even another failed spelling test.

**Author's Note:**

> Done! What do we think?


End file.
